By Beth David, Editor
The remnants of Hurricane Hermine stalled off shore this weekend, causing some high winds, but little rain. According to ML Baron of the West Island Weather Station, the area received only about 3/4 of an inch of rain. Sustained winds of 44 miles per hour and gusts of 53 MPH resulted in a few tree branches down, including a large one on Sconticut Neck Road that partially blocked the road for part of Monday.
In short, the storm acted like a garden-variety nor’easter for these parts.
L-R: Josh and Joe Hess get the Distraction ready for the storm. Beth David photo.
At Earl’s Marina on Causeway Road in Fairhaven, boat owners and marina personnel worked hard on Friday and Saturday adding extra lines to boats docked at the marina or moored in Round Cove.
On Sunday, some boat owners were still out there as the wind picked up and bounced the boats around.
Joe Hess, who bought his 34-foot boat the Distraction just three weeks ago, was aboard on Sunday with his son Josh. They added a few extra lines and tied down anything that could move. Mr. Hess (the elder) said he was not worried about the boat, but would check on it during the storm. He was not planning to stay on the boat.
Tammy was doing the same on the Tradition, adding fenders and extra lines and doing whatever the captain told her to do.
Andre, who lives on his boat, the Salty Buzzard II, in the summer, said he would be riding out the storm at his cottage on the neck.
He explained how “spring lines” work, leaving a little slack on the lines, but not too much.
If they are too tight, something will snap, if too loose, the boat will move too much. When done right, one side pulls against the other and allows the boat to spring back and forth with the wind, keeping it from swinging too far from side to side.
Tammy helps out getting the Tradition ready for the storm. Photo by Beth David.
Earl, who owns the Our Way, watched, with a tad of amusement as people ran up and down the docks with fenders and extra line.
He had secured his boat the day before, when it was calm.
The Hold the Line, a 48-foot Silverton Yacht owned by Christopher Braga of New Hampshire, lost power and steering while being moved from one mooring to another on Sunday around 11:30 a.m., and got pushed into the rocks on the causeway.
Marina owner Matt Hebert said they were moving the boat because its regular mooring is too close to the finger docks and other boats. He said if the high winds broke it free from its mooring, it could cause a lot of damage to itself and to other boats. He decided to move it to a mooring on the north end of the mooring field.
The 48-foot Silvertaon Yacht “Hold the Line,” is held away from the rocks on Causeway Road in Fairhaven after it lost power and steering while it was being moved to a different mooring in preparation for the storm on Sunday, 9/4. Photo courtesy of ML Baron, www.WestIslandWeather.com
The boat was only against the rocks for a few seconds before a few people pushed it away. In a matter of minutes, the marina’s work boat had a line on it and pulled it out to the other mooring.
There was no visible damage to the boat.
Mr. Braga, who was not piloting the boat when it stalled, would not comment for this story. •••
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